


Rescue Me

by me_meron_pan



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: AshBDayExchange, Happy Birthday Ash Lynx!, M/M, Teacher/Student
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-08-19 04:09:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20203492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/me_meron_pan/pseuds/me_meron_pan
Summary: Caught in detention limbo, two lost souls were waiting to be found by each other.Found and rescued.A chance for change.Where would all of this lead to?





	Rescue Me

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be smut but my smut batteries are empty and my writing block is still not any better .  
I hope this turned out somewhat okay in the end ; v ;  
Happy Birthday, Ash!!

June 2 nd .

Tick. Tock.

A minute went by.

Tick. Tock.

One more.

How ridiculous.

It wasn't the first time he had been in detention. Definitely not the first one, no. And he couldn't wait to see his old man's angry face when he'd come home too late. Couldn't wait for that burning sensation of a hard slap against his cheek.

A chuckle almost dared to slip past his lips as he scribbled into the upper left corner of his, still empty, sheet of paper, still caught up in the pleasant imagination of his adoptive father yelling at him.

That angry shade of red. The way the vein on his forehead would grow and start pulsating rapidly with each word of scolding.

Simply too delicious.

Two hours of detention he'd simply use to plan his next strike of mischief. They could keep his body in place, but his mind was always free to wander and plot. Wander and plot. The only thing he was good for.

  
  


''Attention.''

The door opened, a well-known figure entered the stuffy room.

''Believe me, Golzine. This is just as much of a punishment to me as it is to you.''

Max Glenreed, english literature teacher and avid freelance writer himself.

''Oh, Mr. 730 Days in Saigon!'' an amused smile curled up on Ash's lips.

The scowl on Max's face grew.

It had been a well-kept secret that he was a freelance writer. He'd be too embarrassed if anyone knew that he was behind the name Max Lobo. Although it was quite obvious for anyone who knew where he came from.

Well-kept for years and yet it only took one blonde brat to dig up that secret.

''Golzine.''

''Don't call me that.''

''Oh I will if you keep calling me Mr. 730 Days In Saigon. Pick your poison,  _ Golzine _ .''

They scowled at each other for a moment before Mr. Glenreed took his place behind the teacher desk, another literature classic in his hands.

Great. As if the day hadn't been bad enough already, it had to be him who had to sit supervision for detention. And of course it was no other than Aslan Jade Callenreese, adoptive name Golzine, that he had to watch.

They weren't on best terms, although Mr. Glenreed got along well with most of his students. Most of them either liked him a lot or didn't feel any particular dislike against him. Except for this fine example of a troublemaker.

It already had happened in their first shared lesson.

He'd never forget that daring smile behind those fine-rimmed, silver glasses. Strands of blonde hair tucked behind his ear as he raised his arm.

''I think you made a small mistake. The book was written back in 1920.''

''Almost.'', he had cleared his throat back then. ''People believe it was written back then but if you're familiar with the author's biography, there is a passage talking about how he experienced a severe case of writer's block between 1918 and 1923. There was a five year break in his career and according to his own comments about it, he did not write between 1918 and 1923.''

''Yes, but-''

Their discussion pulled through the entire lesson and although Mr. Glenreed enjoyed a well-kept discussion, it was something about that brat's cheeky grin all along their quarrels that made the teacher go almost crazy. A back and forth between verbal swings at each other. Feral attack between the lines.

It only got worse when the boy almost outed him as an author himself in front of his whole class, knowing too-well that it was perfect blackmail material and as he knew the boy, he wouldn't shy away from doing so if needed.

But there was no reason to blackmail his teacher.

Ash, as most students referred to him, had perfect grades and excelled in all of his classes. He was the picture-perfect student.

...if it wasn't for his behavior.

There was no other reason for his constant teasing other than pure boredom. Ash was bored, of course he was as someone on the top-grade list of the entire school, Mr. Glenreed understood that much. Most troublemakers had some unseen potential growing inside of them, a side that longed to be found and nourished.

Ash however, he kept that side hidden. So very well hidden behind walls of ice.

Ice.

His eyes kept darting between his book and his student every few minutes, the stuffy summer heat filling the classroom.

It was astounding, how heat could almost freeze time, making detention even more of an ordeal than it already was.

He felt a drop of sweat scoot down his forehead, loosening up his tie did only do so much to make it more bearable.

Occasionally he'd hear Ash's pencil scribble on his given sheets of paper.

''What are you doing?'' Mr. Glenreed asked.

''Homework.'' Ash looked up at him with that usual grin. ''English literature. Our teacher gave us an assignment to write and analyze any book or short story of our choice.''

Another daring grin.

He paused, looking back down on his sheet before continuing his writing.

''I picked Ice Palace, F. Scott Fitzgerald.''

Mr. Glenreed wasn't surprised. As deviant as his student was, he was well thought-through. His essays showed. He was a smart one. One to think a lot.

One to think about things others wouldn't think about.

It were the words he picked, the way he set sentence after sentence.

Reading his homeworks was probably the only delightful thing about the boy everyone referred to as Ash Lynx.

''What made you pick that piece?''

''This and that.'' a chuckle.

No more questions needed.

Eventually detention time spent in silence rolled by and both of them were freed from that awful room. Parting ways in the summer heat, both heading home with a subtle smile on their lips.

  
  


June 4 th .

Of course it was him who they asked to supervise detention again.

And of course it was him who he had to watch.

''Attention.'' he declared as he cleared his throat while entering the small room.

It was the same as last time.

Blonde strands shining in the late afternoon sun, a cheeky grin from behind those glasses. Dark bruises, black and blue resting on his chee- What?

For a moment he halted, words almost drying on his tongue as he faced his student.

It was not uncommon for the boy to get in trouble, everyone knew.

What was uncommon though was to see him like that.

Bruised and although cheeky, a shimmer of weakness gleamed around him.

''Mr. Glenreed got detention as well?'' Ash joked as he saw the visibly surprised teacher. They hadn't had class together between today and his last sitting.

''Golzine.''

A scowl.

''Callenreese.''

Ash's expression softened, attention returning to his sheet.

They did not talk for a while, silence accompanied by specs of dust floating through the room and the occasional sound of flipping pages and pencil scribbling on a sheet of paper.

''Who did this to you?'', Max finally broke his silence.

''Did what?''

''The bruises.''

…

''How's your wife?''

A sudden change of topic. Something had happened after all.

''That's not of importance. You know, as a teacher, it's my responsibility to look after my stu-''

''I heard she's taking your son along with her.''

Bull's eye.

Like a hit to his face, his chest heaving painfully as he desperately sucked in air.

''Are you going to keep the house? Would be a little harsh to rip your son out of his comfort zone. What was his name again? Michael? Divorce is never easy for a kid.''

Each word falling from those soft lips were fatal blows to the heart, aching painfully within his body.

''H-How... Who- Who told you about that?''

It was a delightfully well-place maneuver to gear attention away from him. From his problems. Away from the things nobody should ever see or know about.

A little low? Maybe.

Effective, however? Definitely.

''I know my sources, Mr. Glenreed. People talk so easily about matters that don't really concern them.''

''You little brat. Back to your work. No more talking, understood?''

''Weren't you the one who sparked the conversation?''

''Golzine!'' he slammed his hands on the table. ''Enough is enough.''

It was clear to him now why people referred to him as a Lynx. So very clear.

  
  


June 9 th .

It had become routine by now.

Always him. Always the same student.

2 hours – all the same.

He'd come in, they’d snarl at each other, they'd stay silent until both of them were set free again.

Especially after the last encounter, there had been some tension between them.

Not that it had ever been any different.

Weeks passed, none however without at least one hour of detention and while the bruises on Ash's face grew worse and worse, so did grow curiosity inside the teacher. A longing to know more about that mysterious brat. The reason behind those hidden sad eyes he had noticed when Ash was writing his essays in front of him.

Tick. Tock.

Tick. Tock.

Time stood still.

Tick. Tock.

Tick. Tock.

The world seemed frozen despite the raging heat outside.

Caught in a heat haze, detention seemed to repeat itself over and over again and it always was the same.

Always the same.

Until the last week before summer vacation had hit.

''You think you'll be able to go through this week without another sitting of detention?'' Max joked as he stepped into the classroom, the well-familiar face already waiting for him with a smile.

''Oh I don't know. Maybe I've grown fond of these meetings.'' Ash chuckled.

Wounds had healed. His face back to normal. No sign of weakness. No hint of sadness. The usual old cheeky grin had returned.

''Come on, you can't be serious. Sitting your ass off after school with an, I quote, 'old fart' like me?'' Max returned the chuckle. ''I'm sure there's better things to do than this.''

''Grown-ups always act as if they'd know everything. It's always the same.''

It was the first time Ash left his seat. Stood up as he talked, both hands in his pockets as he approached Mr. Glenreed's desk.

''Are you tired of watching me yet? I know you enjoy this as much as I do, don't you?''

It was a sudden change in atmosphere. The world around them had thawed again. Heat finally reaching the teacher's face.

''It's boring to come home to an empty house, isn't it? No loving wife, no playful son waiting. Life's such a bore, isn't it?''

Ash had taken his place on the edge of Max's desk, sitting in front of him as he was the one who was teaching.

''Coming home to an abusive father isn't much better I think.''

He crossed his arms in front of his chest as he chuckled.

''The same old thing over and over again. We aren't that different from each other.''

He leaned in close, slender fingers reaching for the teacher's tie.

''It's so very boring.'' he whispered hushed. ''Don't we long for something more?''

One of Ash's hands had creeped its way up to the back of Max's neck, caressing his nape, pulling him in even closer before nibbling on his ear.

''Attention, teacher. A once-in-a-lifetime offer just for you.''

  
  


That night Max had spent tossing and turning between his sheets in that empty bed way too big for just one person. An address stuck on his mind, repeating it over and over again until it sounded weird enough to be just a dream.

An address. A date.

_ ''I know your wife and she wouldn't mind.'' _

  
  
  


There was no detention assignment this week as time rushed past him. No trace of Ash on the hallways, not a sign, no confirmation.

It was as nerve-wracking as it was thrilling.

The evening before he'd pace up and down the hallway. His bedroom a mess, clothes scattered around the floor.

He did not sleep.

Not until 5 am. Not until it was time to leave.

Time to leave everything behind.

He left after he had made sure everything was turned off. The bed made, no sign of any prior chaos. That family picture he had flipped over turned back up as if nothing had ever changed.

05:30. The early morning sun along the shore. A gentle breeze blowing through his hair as he pulled up at the gas station.

Torn jeans, no shirt other than that oversized button-up with a strange pattern on it. Sunglasses graced his slim face, golden locks loosely brushed back as he sat in the sun. Slurping on some iced tea as he was waiting for his answer.

''I knew you'd come.'' Ash grinned as Max got out of that crappy red volkswagen convertible.

''You ready to go or what?'' Max asked, still a little unsure. Everything still too surreal.

''I thought you'd never ask.''

Reality hit when they were both sitting in the car, ready to pull out of the driveway. Like a harsh blow to the face. Unnerving and scary. His heart was beating way too fast. Way too loud, scaring to wake anyone around them.

''Say it.'' Max halted, his hands tight around the steering wheel.

''Say what?'' Ash asked, facing him with the straw from his drink hanging from his lips.

''You know exactly what.''

A chuckle. A defeated sigh as his student averted his gaze. Words were easier when they were directed to the shore. The endless horizon.

He had practiced it so often, had longed to push his pride aside to finally speak his mind.

His lip quivered a little before he chuckled once more, his own hand entangled in the blonde of his locks.

Neither of them knew where any of this would lead to. Didn't know where they'd end up or what would happen if they ever stop.

Their goals? They had none.

For now the remaining gas in the car's tank and Ash's words fueled their journey into the unknown.

  
  


_ ''Rescue me.'' _

  
  



End file.
